Ergon have updated their downhill grip, the GDH, the grip that World Champion Vali Holl has her own signature edition of.
A new compound and texture layout, three new sizes and some jazzy colours are the hallmarks of the new Ergon GDH grip.
Photos by Pete Scullion.
Key features:
- Made in Germany
- GravityControl Rubber Compound
- Ergonomic shape
- Multi-directional damping system w/ progressive, interlocked texture blocks
- Anatomic finger boxes
- Inner and outer stops
- Available in three sizes: GDH Slim 30mm, GDH 32mm, and GDH Fat 34mm
- GDH Slim: Black, Slay Grey, Vicious Pink, Juicy Orange
- GDH: Black, Slay Grey, Vicious Pink, Juicy Orange, Nightride Blue, Lunar Lilac,Chili Red
- GDH Fat: Black, Slay Grey, Juicy Orange, Nightride Blue, Lunar Lilac, Chili Red
- GDH Vali Höll Edition: Black/Gold, White/Gold
- £35.99, Vali Höll edition GDH £39.99 RRP
- ErgonBike.com
Ergon are well-known for their contact points, and anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to their name could probably work this out. Fresh out of the gate are their GDH grips which amongst other things, have a very fast Austrian with her own signature version.
The GravityControl rubber is, by all accounts, the softest Ergon have ever made. Designed to be better at handling the impact and vibration the hands will encounter during a downhill run, they’re also now available in three diameters to fine tune your feel. 30mm is ‘Slim’ as seen here. 32mm is the ‘Goldilocks’ number according to Ergon, and ‘Fat’ is 34mm. The compound and architecture doesn’t change.
Progressive, interlocked texture blocks help dampen the hands as well as the compound softeness, alongside anatomic finger boxes and finger stops at both ends of the grip. All this aims to keep the hand planted in place without having to actually grip the grips as hard.
The GDH Slim grips swapped out the stock Deity Lockjaw grips on my Specialized Levo 4 Pro Carbon test bike that were doing sterling work up to that point. The latter feeling quite soft in the hand and great for all day missions on the hill.
Once fitted, the Ergon grips don’t actually feel particularly soft but then the Germans haven’t claimed that they are soft, just that they’re the softest they’ve ever made. That said, they’re certainly not uncomfortable even for someone who runs their outer edge of their hand off the end of the grip, the finger stops don’t get in the way.
I soon forgot about the fact that the previous grips were soft and promptly forgot that the Ergon grips were even on the bike. Usually a sign that they’re simply functioning as intended. Despite being more downhill focused, these grips have joined me on the much longer runs off large Scottish mountains than the three minute attack that is a downhill race.
The only gripe with the Ergon GDH grips is that the Slay Grey very quickly becomes a slightly off-brown colour. The kind you might get if you mixed grey and brown clay together. If your hands are on the grips though, you wont notice this in the slightest. They’ve held up well to regular abuse, so the near forty quid asking price isn’t too dear either.
